Commercial Education

Talbott, Siobhan

Abstract

Commerce in the early modern period was a highly skilled profession. We know much about the increase in formal commercial education, the role of apprenticeships, and the publication of printed didactic texts such as advice books, but we know less about the limitations of these sources of commercial education, and much less about the other ways in which merchants trained for business. Formal learning, which was neither accessible to all nor a prerequisite for commercial success, was augmented by informal knowledge exchange and practical experience. Using manuscript notebooks, exercise books, ships’ logs, and correspondence, this chapter constructs a more holistic picture of how merchants became educated in business. Skills considered include abilities in foreign languages, knowledge of commercial jargon, understanding of weather and climate, and education in mathematics and navigation. This chapter consolidates the argument in Chapter 1 that the ‘print revolution’ did not foster a fundamental shift from manuscript and oral learning to text-based learning. It shows that merchants were not a homogeneous group, but individuals who learned in different ways and through different methods, seeking specific training that benefited their distinct business interests.

Citation

Talbott, S. (2025). Commercial Education. In Knowledge, Information, and Business Education in the British Atlantic World, 1620–1760 (79-120). Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198926825.003.0004

• Acceptance Date: Feb 10, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Feb 10, 2025
• Publication Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 27, 2025
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Pages: 79-120
• Book Title: Knowledge, Information, and Business Education in the British Atlantic World, 1620–1760
• Chapter Number: 3
• ISBN: 9780198926795
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198926825.003.0004
• Keywords: commercial education, learning, advice books, almanacs, print revolution, language learning, arithmetic, navigation
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1078491